In the 1970s, Lô studied at the School of Art in Dakar later joining the popular Super Diamono. He left the group in 1984 to start a solo career. Over the next four years Lô recorded five popular solo albums.
In 1990 Lô signed a recording deal with Barclay and recorded in France his sixth solo album, Ismaël Lô. Thanks to the success of the single Tajabone the album became a hit in the European charts. The album launched his international career.
Iso was recorded and released in 1994, and also became a success. The album contains soft guitar melodies and traditional senegalese mbalax. The following year Lô toured in Africa. The compilation album Jammu Africa was released in 1996.
In 1999, Tajabone was featured in Pedro Almodóvar's All About My Mother.
Biguisse
Ismaël Lô Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nganema beuguegua.
Man manela way yorouma
Nganema nangougua
Biguisé biguisé
Biguise ee
Yal nadieum kanam way
Way wakhma fodieum manma yoboula
Way way wakhma fodieum manma yoboula
Mba gua wakhma fo deuk way man ma setsila
Biguisé biguisé
Biguise ee
Yal nadieum kanam way
Bl bl bl bl bibi
Kholna ba khol yaw topoulo
Nitki guir loumou am
Ndakh boudon am amo do khar ba legui
Way sohnassi mane bis dina gnowde bour yala teral la
Djiguen djou bakh mane day am yitte
Te amguako bamou dieeeekh
Biguisé biguisé
Biguise he
Yal nadieum kanam
Djiguen diou bakh day am yite
Djiguen diou bakh day am imane
Sohnassi mane bakh ngua lol
Ye he he he he
Bl bl bl ll mane doy na war
Fodieum man ma topeula
Ndakh khawma fodieum man ma yoboulaaa
Khawma fo deuk kon man ma setsila
Sohnassi amgua yite lol
Bl bl bl bl bl bl bl biiiiii
The lyrics of Ismael Lo's song Biguisse are a complex mix of Wolof, French, and English, and the song is known for its unique rhythm and sound. The lyrics speak of a journey through life, with references to various experiences and emotions. The song begins with a repetition of "Yaw manela awma, Nganema beuguegua" which roughly translates to "where are you going? Come here." The repetition of this phrase may signify the constant movement and change that comes with life.
The chorus of the song, "Biguisse biguisse, Biguise ee, Yal nadieum kanam way" roughly translates to "going forward, moving forward, I don't know where." This can be interpreted as a reflection on the uncertainty of life and the unknown future that always lies ahead.
The lyrics also mention a feeling of being lost or disconnected, with lines such as "Way wakhma fodieum manma yoboula" meaning "I don't know where I'm going" and "Sohnassi mane bis dina gnowde bour yala teral la" meaning "I don't know what to do anymore." Overall, the song can be seen as a reflection on the journey of life, with its ups and downs, uncertainties, and moments of feeling lost or disconnected.
Line by Line Meaning
Yaw manela awma
Oh my friend, listen to this
Nganema beuguegua.
So that I can explain it to you.
Man manela way yorouma
This is something that affects us both
Nganema nangougua
And I need your attention to understand it.
Biguisé biguisé
It's something big, truly big
Biguise ee
It's so big, I can hardly give it words
Yal nadieum kanam way
It's a situation that's hard to explain
Way wakhma fodieum manma yoboula
But I will do my best to help you understand
Mba gua wakhma fo deuk man ma setsila
I will use my words to explain what I know
Way way wakhma fodieum manma yoboula
And I'll keep explaining until you get it
Mba gua wakhma fo deuk way man ma setsila
So we'll both have a clear understanding
Bl bl bl bl bibi
It's a complex issue, but we'll work through it together
Kholna ba khol yaw topoulo
Let's start at the beginning, my friend
Nitki guir loumou am
It's a story that starts like this
Ndakh boudon am amo do khar ba legui
Once upon a time, there was a struggle
Way sohnassi mane bis dina gnowde bour yala teral la
People were divided on what to do about it
Djiguen djou bakh mane day am yitte
Some people were very passionate about their ideas
Te amguako bamou dieeeekh
And they didn't want to hear other opinions
Biguisé biguisé
It's a really big problem
Biguise he
It's hard to comprehend how big it is
Yal nadieum kanam
It's a lot to take in, I know.
Djiguen diou bakh day am yite
But we need to find a way forward
Djiguen diou bakh day am imane
We need to listen to each other
Sohnassi mane bakh ngua lol
And find a solution together.
Ye he he he he
It's going to take some work, but we can do it
Bl bl bl ll mane doy na war
We'll have to discuss and debate it
Fodieum man ma topeula
But we'll get there eventually
Ndakh khawma fodieum man ma yoboulaaa
We just need to keep trying to understand
Khawma fo deuk kon man ma setsila
And work on a solution together
Sohnassi amgua yite lol
We can do it if we work together
Bl bl bl bl bl bl bl biiiiii
It's a long process, but it's worth it.
Writer(s): Ismaël Lo, Ismael Lo
Contributed by Aubrey C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@martinstaunton9304
Great song and not on Spotify....